What to do after the server shuts down

headlesshobbs

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

That's going to be the real question in the next few years when everyone has migrated to the next title. Will the game be supported via private servers or will ANET consider preserving it for players as a single player campaign?

I've been through this all before coming from PSO-PSU, so I'm very aware of how things can change at the last minute without our approval.

Gennadios

Gennadios

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2009

N/A

Wait to see what actually happens after launch.

GW is a niche title, but GW2 is designed to be far more popular.

If that's the case people will be snapping up copies of Eotn + 1 campaign at least just for access to the HoM. I'm not saying they'll actually play the game, but there will likely be a big enough market in IRL cash and GW2 gold for GW1 items to keep copies moving for at least a few years after launch.

That's only IF GW2 is popular though.

headlesshobbs

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

We still have to throw NCSoft's corporate strategy into the mix. We already lost Tabula Rasa and Dungeon Runners (kinda boring anyway), but how well they value an original title after the sequel hits, it ain't something I would trust them with.

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gennadios View Post
GW is a niche title, but GW2 is designed to be far more popular.
Being a "niche title" (and I don't agree with that statement in the slightest) is exactly why GW succeeded. It didn't make the mistake MMOs make and copy WoW; indeed it wasn't really an MMO. It was a new, creative game of high quality, and appealed to over five million players.

Sure, it's dead now, but that's only because the developers have abandoned it to move on to GW2. Indeed, knowing GW2 is on the way is the reason a lot of people didn't buy GW1; they figure playing GW1 is pointless now (and it is).

GW2 designed to be far more popular? Sounds to me more like they're trying to compete with WoW.

Chthon

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Apr 2007

I'd expect them to keep it running. They should sell a fair number of new copies of GW1 to people who want to develop their HoM.

Tresa

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2005

UK/USA/GH

Psycho Titans

N/

The GW servers shutting down isn't much of a concern, unless GW2 fails miserably. I don't see that happening, myself, but of course, it's too early to do anything more than speculate.

ANet made a clever decision in connecting GW1 and GW2, as it will help keep GW1 relevant even after GW2 is released. I expect (and if I recall, it has been mentioned by folks at ANet) existing players will be given reason to revisit GW1 at least now and then; and of course, with the HoM, new GW2 players will have reason to pick up GW1.

That said, most any game has an expiration date... It just depends on what else is out there at the time a game begins to go stale, I think.

Quaker

Quaker

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Aug 2005

Canada

Brothers Disgruntled

This depends a bit on what you mean by "server". GW doesn't exist on one physical server (computer). It's more like an app running on a (or several) server farms. With the way GW is structured - being all instanced - there is no big virtual "server" to maintain. ANet just needs to maintain the database and have a small core app running on a farm. Instances are generated on the fly as they are needed, so GW1 can simply sit in a corner of a server farm taking up relatively little space (depending on usage) - which is why they say it will continue to run even after GW2 comes out.
Basically, GW need not go down until ANet itself goes down. Of course, ANet needs to sell new stuff to maintain the revenue to keep it's server farm(s) running.
It's possible, of course, that, if they stop selling GW1, that the usage could go down to the point where they might consider killing GW1 altogether, but it is sold with the promise of unlimited play, so they would have to keep GW1 active for at least a few years.

Gennadios

Gennadios

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2009

N/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk View Post
Being a "niche title" (and I don't agree with that statement in the slightest) is exactly why GW succeeded. It didn't make the mistake MMOs make and copy WoW; indeed it wasn't really an MMO. It was a new, creative game of high quality, and appealed to over five million players.
It appealed to ppl enough to plop down the money for five million copies. How many of those copies belong to ppl /w multiple accounts, and how many of those copies were used for a month or two and then forgotten is up for debate.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk View Post
Sure, it's dead now, but that's only because the developers have abandoned it to move on to GW2. Indeed, knowing GW2 is on the way is the reason a lot of people didn't buy GW1; they figure playing GW1 is pointless now (and it is).
It'll bite them in the ass once GW2 is released. IF it's popular. Even if the HoM bonuses turn out to be purely cosmetic, as the majority of the GW community expects, the number of players running around with dwayna/grenth costumes shows that ppl are more than willing to plop down time and money for stuff like that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk View Post
GW2 designed to be far more popular? Sounds to me more like they're trying to compete with WoW.
Competing /w WoW seems to be the general consensus on how to be far more popular, yes.

On the other hand, for every piece of news that doen't exactly fill me /w love for ANet (Higher level cap, anyone?) They seem to throw something out to keep me in the wait and see camp (Doing away with quests in favor of events.)

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gennadios View Post
It appealed to ppl enough to plop down the money for five million copies.
That's kinda the point. Selling five million accounts is pretty damn good.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gennadios View Post
It'll bite them in the ass once GW2 is released.
Perhaps, but the fact remains that they didn't buy it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gennadios View Post
Competing with WoW seems to be the general consensus on how to be far more popular, yes.
I thought everyone realized by now that competing with WoW doesn't end well?

Gennadios

Gennadios

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2009

N/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk View Post
Perhaps, but the fact remains that they didn't buy it.
I don't think you're arguing what I'm arguing.

I could really care less about the state of GW right now. It's keeping me entertained and that's enough.

My only point is that GW has the potential to be profitable and to stay alive even after the GW2 release. Whether people buy it today, or buy it after the release of GW2 is no skin of my nose.

Bob Slydell

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2007

Doubt the servers are going anywhere. Go look at Diablo and Diablo II. They generate no money at all for blizzard yet they still remain accessable via battlenet. Anet can do whatever they want to the servers that run GW. But it'd be foolish to take them down without valid reason. I foresee playing gw long even after gw2 has been out.

Posted from my iPod touch.

cosyfiep

cosyfiep

are we there yet?

Join Date: Dec 2005

in a land far far away

guild? I am supposed to have a guild?

Rt/

after gw1 shuts down.....I hope to not be playing video games at all .....

but I believe it will be a few years---after gw2 is released ......for the HoM stuff (as was mentioned)...and there will still be a few of us who will still play gw. So thats a few years into the future, I doubt anyone really knows what they will be doing then!!

gone

Guest

Join Date: Jan 2007

after the server shuts down I'll most likely play a different game. yep. there you have it.

zwei2stein

zwei2stein

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Europe

The German Order [GER]

N/

Some diablo 2 servers were repurporsed for WoW thou. And there were rumors that fair bit of GW1 infrastructure was given to Aion.

---

Thing is, GW1 is very cost effective to run, they can always tailor amount of servers to population size. And unlike other games, reducing server amount is not highly visible.

Tarkin

Tarkin

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2005

W/N

Computional power increase every month, and costs go cheaper and cheaper, less players online... i belive the servers can still up forever for cheap... they must find some way to pay some people for manutention... hardware and software...

Dzjudz

Dzjudz

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

gwpvx.com/user:dzjudz

What to do after the server shuts down?

Get a life?

But seriously, you'll play another game or find something else to do. It's not the end of the world. And who says you'll still be playing when they shut down the servers?

Yawgmoth

Yawgmoth

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Apr 2005

GW1 was made to be very very cheap to maintain, with extremelly small amounts of data recorded per account and extremelly low bandwidth usage per user logged in. It was very cheap by standards of 2005 and now into 2010 the technology went far ahead and it only gets cheaper.

For one thing, maintaining GW1 alive can be a great example for buyers of GW2 that this business model is not a failure and that they shouldn't be afraid to buy the new game with all its expansions and stuff because it will run longer than they would even expect it to run.

The only way they could shut down the servers would be the game becoming completely empty, with only like a couple hundred unique logins a day. I'd expect GW3 release sooner than that to happen and by then everyone who cares about it now will have long forgotten about it.

Lishy

Lishy

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by zwei2stein View Post
Some diablo 2 servers were repurporsed for WoW thou. And there were rumors that fair bit of GW1 infrastructure was given to Aion.
Now why would they do that?
Arenanet!=NCSoft

That said, NCSoft is the parent company who often makes deals, I still ain't following ya'

Winterclaw

Winterclaw

Wark!!!

Join Date: May 2005

Florida

W/

I'm hoping Anet releases the source code for private servers. We might actually get a good skill balance then.

headlesshobbs

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winterclaw View Post
I'm hoping Anet releases the source code for private servers. We might actually get a good skill balance then.
The only balance change I want to see is one that turns this into Diablo.

T1Cybernetic

T1Cybernetic

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2005

Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Uk, Nr Earth

Alternate Evil Gamers [aeg]

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winterclaw View Post
I'm hoping Anet releases the source code for private servers. We might actually get a good skill balance then.
It would be awesome if they released the source i would sadly play guild wars alone with god mode turned on and level 30 boss type foes in pre searing or something for a laugh!

But i can not ever see them releasing it Also i don't think it will be closed down any time soon so most people will probably be playing something else...

mrvrod

Guest01

Join Date: Jul 2006

If GW1 eventually does shut down. I hope anet puts the server software out there for private servers, or plaing on your own pc in single-player fashion. Also, I hope they have some way to allow us to transfer our characters and items to our pc. I'd hate to lose all that. And don't tell me how GW2 will have me forgetting all about this game. I still play Diablo from time to time. Sometimes a game is worth revisiting even after many years.

headlesshobbs

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

Like you I hate being told to "move on", things just don't work that way. I would still like to play with friends though.

Tarkin

Tarkin

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2005

W/N

Quote:
Originally Posted by T1Cybernetic View Post
It would be awesome if they released the source i would sadly play guild wars alone with god mode turned on and level 30 boss type foes in pre searing or something for a laugh!

But i can not ever see them releasing it Also i don't think it will be closed down any time soon so most people will probably be playing something else...
I will only change fire storm range... maybe whole map radius...

T1Cybernetic

T1Cybernetic

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2005

Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Uk, Nr Earth

Alternate Evil Gamers [aeg]

N/

Firestorm with whole map radius

I had a think and realised that changing attribute points to 9999 each would result in Instagib flare + Perma shadowform and then change it so that there was no enemy skillz !

And invite your friends :P

Stop The Storm

Stop The Storm

Keeping DoA Alive

Join Date: Jan 2007

England

Were In [DoA]

A/N

i cant see the guildwars servers closing until guildwars 3 comes out tbh.

GW is directly linked to GW2 (HoM), so while GW2 is active, GW will be active.... and if it aint, anet has no brain and the entire HoM was a huge waste of time/effort/money

Abedeus

Abedeus

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jan 2007

Niflheim

R/

What makes you think there will be Guild Wars 3?

Also, no, GW won't be directly linked to GW2, only the accounts that achieved certain things in HoM before the release GW2. I don't remember where I read it, but I did - you won't be able to achieve anything in GW2 from HoM after the release.

Stop The Storm

Stop The Storm

Keeping DoA Alive

Join Date: Jan 2007

England

Were In [DoA]

A/N

i find that hard to believe. source or its just a bs rumour.

releasing GW2 and stopping all the HoM achievements from then makes no sense whatsoever. noone knows what they will be so people will come back to gw1 to unlock them

T1Cybernetic

T1Cybernetic

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2005

Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Uk, Nr Earth

Alternate Evil Gamers [aeg]

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abedeus View Post
What makes you think there will be Guild Wars 3?

Also, no, GW won't be directly linked to GW2, only the accounts that achieved certain things in HoM before the release GW2. I don't remember where I read it, but I did - you won't be able to achieve anything in GW2 from HoM after the release.

EternalTempest

EternalTempest

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

United States

Dark Side Ofthe Moon [DSM]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abedeus View Post
What makes you think there will be Guild Wars 3?

Also, no, GW won't be directly linked to GW2, only the accounts that achieved certain things in HoM before the release GW2. I don't remember where I read it, but I did - you won't be able to achieve anything in GW2 from HoM after the release.
One of the older interviews did say additional unlocks in the Hall would unlock in gw2 after the fact.